NEWS

A Christian pastor, Cheryl Bartley, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter following the death of Robert Smith during a baptism ceremony in Erdington, West Midlands. Smith, 61, who reportedly suffered from Parkinson’s disease, died on October 8, 2023, after drowning in a paddling pool during the ceremony at a private address on Slade Road. Bartley, 48, associated with Life Changing Ministries, is accused of causing his death through gross negligence during the baptism. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that she has been formally charged and is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on May 14. Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said prosecutors determined there was sufficient evidence and that pursuing the case was in the public...

Donald Trump has said any country that supplied weapons to Iran would face 50 percent tariffs “without exemptions”. The US President Trump made this known in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday, April 8,  after the ceasefire agreement reached between the US and Iran last night. Trump wrote: “A country supplying military weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed on any and all goods sold to the United States of America, 50%, effective immediately. “There will be no exclusions or exemptions!” Also, on Wednesday, Trump said there will be no enrichment of uranium by Iran, and that the countries will work together to “dig up and remove” nuclear material buried by US strikes last year. “The United States will work closely with Iran, which we have determined has gone...

A Palestinian man working for the UN Health body, the World Health Organization was killed by Israeli gunfire in Gaza on Monday, April 6, according to his colleagues and a doctor who received his body. According to Dr. Fathi Al-Loulou, Majdi Aslan, 54, was driving an “internationally assigned vehicle with international markings” along Salah al-Din Road, the main north-south street in Gaza, when it came under fire.Another WHO employee, Raed Aslan, told CNN that the vehicle was on its way to evacuate patients when it was struck. He revealed that the vehicle was marked with the World Health Organization logo “from all sides”.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in a statement, did not acknowledge the death, giving a differing account of the incident.It said its troops “identified an unmarked v...

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced the timetable for the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream II orientation programme. According to the scheme, the 21-day exercise will take place simultaneously across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. In a statement issued by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the NYSC revealed that the orientation programme will begin with the reception and registration of prospective corps members on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The registration process is expected to continue until midnight on Friday, April 24, 2026. The scheme added that the swearing-in ceremony—marking the official induction of corps members into national service—will also take place on Friday, April 24, 2026. The orientation course is sched...

A massive cybersecurity breach has exposed approximately 7.7 terabytes of sensitive records belonging to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), raising serious concerns about data security and the protection of confidential information within one of the largest police departments in the United States. Hackers reportedly accessed sensitive data, including personal information of officers, Internal Affairs records, and other confidential files, during a breach involving a major Los Angeles city office tied to the Los Angeles Police Department. A trove of sensitive data was leaked in a hack last month involving the LA City Attorney’s office, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to The Post. “LAPD is aware of an incident within the LA City Attorney’s Office, where unauth...

The mother of Dennis Idahosa, the Edo State deputy governor, Madam Esther Idahosa, died on Wednesday at the age of 95. In a statement by Idahosa’s Chief Press Secretary, Friday Aghedo, he described the late Idahosa as a venerable matriarch who lived a long, fulfilled, and impactful life defined by unwavering faith, strength of character, and devotion to her family and the community at large. While expressing gratitude to God for her life, the Idahosas request prayers and understanding as they mourn their matriarch. The statement reads, “It is with total submission to the will of God that the Idahosa and Enabulele families of Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, announce the peaceful passing of their beloved daughter, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother,...

A member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, representing Barkin Ladi Constituency, Dickson Chollom, has rejected the use of the term “unknown gunmen” in recent attacks, declaring that those behind the killings are now known. Chollom, who also chairs the House Committee on Works and Transport, made the assertion during a sympathy and fact-finding visit to Heipang District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, following a recent attack that claimed three lives and left one person critically injured. He disclosed that one of the suspects had been arrested and had made confessional statements revealing the identities of his accomplices. “We will no longer accept the term ‘unknown gunmen’. One of the perpetrators has been arrested and he has made confessions about those who j...

Lecturers at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) have launched an indefinite strike in protest of unpaid salaries for March 2026. Professor Jurbe Molwus, chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the institution, confirmed the strike in an interview with The PUNCH in Jos, stating: “We are on strike, and we are not going to work until we are paid.” The industrial action officially began on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. In a statement circulated to members and signed by Molwus, ASUU expressed disappointment over the delayed payment, attributing the issue to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, while noting that UNIJOS’ bursary had completed its part of the salary process. The statement read: “Dear comrades, after following due process, we hereby req...

The Plateau State Government has further relaxed the curfew imposed on Jos North Local Government Area following what officials described as a relative return to calm after recent attacks in Angwan Rukuba. According to a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, the adjustment takes effect from April 8, 2026, allowing residents to move freely between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., while the curfew will now run from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Residents were urged to carry out lawful activities within the approved hours and to strictly comply with the curfew restrictions. Governor Caleb Mutfwang has directed security agencies to ensure full enforcement of the new directive to safeguard lives and property and sustain peace in the area. Authoritie...

The Ogun State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit has rescued nine foreign nationals and arrested two suspects linked to a transnational fraud syndicate.  The suspects, Stephen Kwame and Abubakar Sulaimon, were apprehended at their hideout in Owode Egba, where they were holding the victims captive. The state police spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, who confirmed their arrest, said the victims, including a Ghanaian national, were lured to Nigeria with promises of travel to Europe and were being forced to pay ransom. He mentioned that one victim paid ₵31,000 before being rescued. He added that the police will track down all the accomplices and bring them to justice. The Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, commended the operatives’ professionalism and urged the...